- The “Take Our Border Back” convoy has had a rocky start.
- According to WIRED, the so-called ‘God’s army’ had a lower-than-expected turnout.
- There have also been internal disputes, a lost vehicle, and an exiled participant, it reported.
A convoy of vehicles headed to Texas, organized by a group called “Take Our Border Back,” has had a chaotic start, including slashed tires and a stranded participant, according to WIRED.
Organizers of the convoy, one of whom described it as “God’s army,” per Vice, had aspirations of mobilizing tens of thousands of trucks to stop migrants from crossing the Texas-Mexico border into the US.
But despite an influx of donations, plenty of media attention, and a growing social media following, things haven’t gone exactly to plan.
According to WIRED, it all started to go wrong even before the convoy had set off.
Some attendees woke up to find the tires of their cars slashed outside a hotel they’d been staying at, one of the convoy’s live-streamers said, per WIRED.
To add to the chaos, there was even a last-minute scramble to find a meeting point after the owners of the original location said the convoy would not be able to gather there, WIRED reported.
The group met in a parking lot in Norfolk, Virginia, where around 20 vehicles gathered, a far cry from the numbers the group had been calling for, according to video footage reviewed by WIRED.
The magazine said that Craig Hudgins, one of the organizers, held out hope and claimed without evidence that “40,000 truckers from all over the country and Canada” would soon be joining.
But WIRED reported that no other trucks joined the convoy that day.
After they departed an hour behind schedule, one of the vehicles almost immediately got lost, according to WIRED, citing messages posted in the Zello walkie-talkie app.
The group also argued over their accommodation during a planning meeting later that day, it said.
Heightened tensions may have led to the banishment of one participant.
WIRED reported that, at one point, the main bus pulled over onto a highway shoulder and kicked out one of the people on board.
It was unclear why the man was ejected, but he was left stranded in Florence, South Carolina, without his wallet, according to details discussed on a livestream of someone in contact with the man, per WIRED.
“Take Our Border Back” did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
The group stated that one of its goals is to stop illegal immigration immediately and secure the border.
Migration levels are reaching unprecedented levels, with US officials reporting that about 300,000 people tried to cross the border last month.
How exactly the convoy plans to confront migrants at the border and stop them from entering the US remains unclear.
